Why does the ACLU say they protect freedom of speech but...?

Question

when it comes to God and Jesus they are the first to censor?

blue...says:
And they do not censor, but join lawsuits brought by others to point out that something is contravening the establishment clause.

This is not true. What about the girl and her valedictorian speech? The freakin ACLU censored it before she was allowed to give it. It's freedom of speech. Not Freedom of speech as long as it doesn't offend any liberal left wing nuts.

Answer 1

Because ACLU stands for "Anti-Christian Liberals Union"...

Answer 2

The ACLU has done a lot of good things in their history, especially when they stick to promoting the cause of civil liberty.

Like any group, the original purposes for creation can be perverted by people with a different agenda seeking only to capitalize on the ACLU's reputation. The valedictorian speech is a good example. If the school or a school official made the comments she desired to make, the ACLU would have a case. But, in this instance, an anti-religion agenda has made them willing to suppress the rights of an individual student. It's an action that reduces the respect people have for the ACLU - it becomes just another hack political group.

Answer 3

They "cherrypick" the parts of the Constitution the will defend. The First Amendment has two references to religion: The "Establishment "clause, and the "Free Exercise" clause. The Government may not establish a religion (remember we broke away from Britain which still HAS an official state religion: Church of England); they may also not interfere from the free exercise of religion. The ACLU jumps on the first, but ignores the second.

Answer 4

The ACLU did not censor that girls' speech. The school district did following ACLU lawyers' advice, because a reasonable person could see her speech as being condoned by the school district and as prostletyzing, which is completely and utterly forbidden. It is not the government's job to prostletyze. She can say whatever she wants in a public forum, but when she is speaking in essence on behalf of a school board, she is limited from expressing religious views, be they Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or whatever.

Answer 5

Without a specific example, I would have to say that they are working from one of the other facets of the First Amendment to the Constitution regarding establishment of religion, since "Jesus" is particular to one type of religion and "God" would be monotheism, which is another type of religion.

And they do not censor, but join lawsuits brought by others to point out that something is contravening the establishment clause.

Answer 6

The ACLU believes in an absolute division of church & state. They also profess to defend individual's rights of freedom to speak & freedom to choose silence, ("To serve God & my Country" in the BSA inquests for instance).
For what it's worth, the seperation of church & state is not a law, but a general consensus of what our founding fathers perceived.
The extreme that the ACLU takes modern day religious implications is not at all what was considered by the original lawmakers. Nor would they have approved of such blasphemous activities.

Answer 7

The ACLU fights hostile to authorities tries to violate the structure. CBS and NBC haven't any constitutional criminal responsibility to proceed to grant Imus a talk board--they're the bosses, they could employ and fireplace as they see in good structure. The ACLU isn't in contact because there is no longer something for them to be curious about. so a options as Imus is going, i imagine firing him became too harsh, and became pandering to exhibit communities. notwithstanding freedom of speech this ain't.

Answer 8

Because the ACLU has a very specific left wing agenda.

Answer 9

The ACLU has changed alot...for the worse I say.

When are they gonna change our money? I mean, what 4 words are on every piece of US Currency??

In God We Trust

Answer 10

Many of the top people in th ACLU are not Christians, nor have they been

Answer 11

Because religion has no place in poilitics/government/schools. That is the difference. They will defend your right to free speech in the proper arenas.